Indexing



April 15, 1924. 1,490,547

c. l. WAGNER INDEXI NG Filed Jan. 24 1917 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a Attes a I April 15, 1924. 1,490,547 c. I. WAGNER INDEXING Filed Jan. 24 191 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 iii l 3, MW a April. 15 1924. 1,490,547

CQ l. WAGNE-R INDEXING Filed Jan. 24 1917 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 2 p 19 4 c. WAGNER INDEXI NG 1917 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 24

LOUIS H BAGLEY m'lous 12TH- Ave.

Inventor:

A ttest a. 1.. 3 Attj Mi Wag nu.

Patented A t. 1924.

0mm n WAGNER, or mewroux, amnrnwu nmnx comm, m 3mm.

Application and January :4, 1017. semi Io. 144,200.

To all whom it may com-em:

Be it known that 1,.Cm1srm1 I. WAGNER of New York city, New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Indexing, of which 6 the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawmgs, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawin designating like parts.

This invention relates to indexing, and is lo'of special utility when embodied in a system comprising a multilicity of units associated with various su ject-matters, such as the letters constituting the corres 0nden'ce of a firm or corporation witha arge 1'6 and increasing number of customers, or a card indexof said customers, although'I do not limit myself to any particular use, but contemplate the em loyment of my improvements in any field or which they are adapted by their nature.

- An im ortant ob'ect of m invention is to provi e 'stockin exes having highly developed expansible and contractible capacities and to render the filing and finding of matter by means of such indexes more accurate and rapid, for which purpose I produce means by which to overcome the 11mitations, disadvantages and unnecessary expense of present methods, and in order that m the object of my invention can beamore fully understood I consider it necessary to review criticallyv the prior methods, as follows First: Alphabetic indexing by means of guides bearmg on their tabs or projections Indexing data consisting of sub-divisions of the alphabet. In stock indexes of this character the number of guides assigned each letter of the alphabet and bearing sub-divisions'thereof is based on some broadly inu elusive list of names. For example, the indexing value of each .letter of the alphabet in a number of stock'indexes is based on the names given in the New York city telephone directory, and as these names in their alpha- 5 betic construction are greatly varied by the many nationalities and varied classes of business listed therein, a business dealing with only a certain few nationalities or classes of business will have an unnecessary J amount of guides for certain letters and lack enough for others. Gontractionor expansion of any one set .of alphabetic subdivlsions is impracticable; the sequence thereof should remain unbroken,

each unit .of an alphabetic sub-division ind ex be1n' necessary to its effective operation, an therefore, in order to select the proper mm, or proper number of sub divislons, the user of indexes of this character must forecast the maximum amount of matter which will be filed in the index at some future period, and to do so accurately is of ar-Eur oar-Ice. u. 1, assumes, 11! um assmnmrrs, so or nneswuna, Juan, A: conrona'rron or rare occurrence, owing to the uncertainties of business, hence the index proves too small or too large, at the conclusion of the-filin perlod, to roperly index the matter files therein. 21;; whole (if ltlhefilindex in 0511s files at bthe mm o t e in ri et it iso vious tha t' the full vo u fnse of matter to be filed will not be received or filed until the end of the riod, and as a result investment 1s ma e in guides long before their use is required, the file clerks are filing and finding matter for the major art of the psrlod in larger sub-divisions o the alphat than the volume of matter justifies gt being admittedly proportionally more di cult to file and find matter as the size of alphabetic indexes increases) and this excessive use subjects the surplus necessary wear.

Furthermore, each time matter is filed or e user is also obliged to place guides to un found in an alphabetic index each file clerk is obliged to interpret the alphabetic construction of the designation of thematter to be filed in order to determine its place among, and al habetic relation to, the subdivislons of t e alphabet shown on the guides in the index, such determination being obviously more difiicult than thevnumeric interpretation which I provide and will describe later.

Second: Geographic indexing, which is commonly practiced by means of guides bearing on their tabs or projections indexing data consisting of names of States, towns or localities, these supplemented by sets of alphabetic indexes. In stock indexes of this'character the disadvantages, limitations and unnecewary expense characteristics are the same as those to which alphabetic indexes are subject, with the additional disadvantage that the volume of matter to be filed therein has to be forecast upon both' the alphabetic andState, town or locality basis.

Third: Numeric indexing, which utilizes guides being generally numeric designation with the adpha their tabs or projections indexing data of ump numbers. In indexes of this charactei numbers are m to the units of matterfiled in nu- I sequence'and without hearing any l the numbers have been assigned be maintained separatel Although matter filed in a numeric in ex is admittedl filed and found more easily and with far ess dan er of mis-filing than is possible with an ot er method, yet prior to my invention t is system has been impracticable in most cases owing to the necessity of maintaining a cross-mdex, and referring thereto to ascertain the number assigned to the matter filed before it can be filed or found, and furthermore this alphabetic cross-index is sub'ect to all the disadvantages of alphabetic in exi ourthz Alphabetic-numeric indexing, by means of guides bearin on their tabs or rejections alphabetic su divisions in comination with a number is often employed, the number being usually based on the, guide sequence to assist in back filing, or on groups of name initial letters only, intended as a supplementary means of dividing matter first indexed in the index by alphabetic subdivision. In indexes of this character the numeric means are so. dependent on the alphabetic means and so limited in their scope, that they do little towards overcoming the disadvantages of alphabetic indexil! contradistinction to the above systems,

my invention contem lates the provision, on

' mattertobefiledindevices of all kinds, of a numerical designation in such a mannor that nose rate record, cross index or like record wil be necessary to identifgeihe phic or subject designation under which the matter is commonly identified, llldfill accordance with .an important feature of my invention, this numeric designation is arranged to remain on the matter in conection with the ordinaig designation, to facilitate the reference to, ling and finding of the matter.

- Another important object of my invention is to provide a mechanical means of placing the numeric designation on the matter and 2; the same operation and at the same time 'e alphabetic, geographic or subject destion from which t e numeric designation is derived, and my preferred means for accomplidiing this purpose takes the form of a codibing attachment to a type- Still another important object of my inv'ention is to provide means by which the numeric designation of matter can be indexed by means of guides and miscellaneous folders in such a manner that the matter can easily be located for reference, filing or findin and can also be transferred at' the end 0 a filing period in such a manner as to utilize the numeric designations on the miscellaneous folders as an index for the matter when transferred, thus obviating transfer of the ides.

An object o prima1 importance is to devise a system by whic matter can be indexed, and the index expanded or contracted, by the addition or subtraction of sub-guides in such parts thereof. only, as the amount of matter ed and the'nature of its designations justi and as a corollary of this system to provide means by which it will be unnecessary in the initial installation of an index to forecast or ascertain the amount of matter to be filed therein eventually, in order that the proper size index can be installed.

Among other important results accomplished by my invention a notable one is that 1n large filing systems requiring a number of file clerks, only one (commonly called the chief file clerk) is required to codify the numeric designation from the alpha tic, geographic or subject designation of the matter to be filed or found, the other clerks filing and finding the matter by means 011 its numeric designation only, thus greatly decreasing the chances of mis-filing, and increasing the speed with which the matter is filed and found.

I have devised also means by which the end or last part of a group of indexed units of matter can be indicated, this novel means taking preferably the form of a guide bearing a suitable designation in order to render it unnecessary to look through such matter to locate the next adjacent matter.

A highly important object accomplished is to so organize the alinement of the projections or tabs bearing indicia as to present. the decimal components of the filing numbers in successive overlapped positions readable as a whole to indicate the exact position of any single unit or group thereof, and in the same manner to further index a group by projections or tabs alined differently and bearing indicia with difl'erentiating characteristics in connection with similar decimal components derived numerically from secondary designations, such as Christian names or initials.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the accompanying drawings and specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 represents a number of cards constituting part of a numerical filing system arranged 1n accordance with my invention,

. of cards similar to Y which, when the a aufiicient number of each set of guides being shown in this and other figures to illus-. trate their use.

Fig. 2 ion. view in rspective of a group at of Fig.1, except that the position of certain guide tabs or projections is changed, and certain guides are added (as is more fully explained ater) in order that the invention can be adapted to a system by which both geographic and name reference is possible.

Fig. 8 is a similar view which represents the invention, when applied to indexing matter such as correspondence, invoices, catalogues, pamphlets and matter other than cards. Miscellaneous and individual folders, as shown, are generally used for such matter, but if desired the matter could be filed loose, between the ides, without de arture from the intent o lahe invention.

ig. 4 illustrates an arrangement of ty faces in accordance with my invention y rinting impact is made, each letter has printed above it the number digit from which the numerical identification is codified. -The order illustrated is that of the standard typewriter keyboard.

Fig. 5 illustrates a codifier presentin the preferred preassi ters of the alpha t, of digits in the series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0, with the number digit shown above each group, this codifier serving as a guide in placing the proper number above the name, geographic or subject desi ation of the matter indexed, when such designation is placed thereon by being written with pen or pencil; the arrangement of the type faces upon the typewriter shuttle shown in Fig. 8 is also in accordance with this codifier when mechanical means, as herein described, are used to 1123; the designation on the matter to be Fig. 6 represents a number of cards with the same surname designation but with different initials, Christian names, partnership and firm identifications thereon, and illustrates the manner in which each card may have a separate numerical identification by means of a sub-number when the main number is the same on several cards. Fig. 6 also illustrates the manner in which sur lus digits are crossed out by the chief file c erk in order that the proper number of digits only shall be used y the file clerk.

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of the groups shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the position of certain ide tabs or projections being ch an certain'guides added in order to a a t the invention to a system employbot subject and name reference.

i 8,illustrates codifying devices aplied to a typewriter constituting the prel erred form of means to effect mechanically by a single operation the imprint upon the ment, to groups 0 let-- matter to be filed of the numerical character constitut' the indexing number, and also the alplili etical characters selected previously from the matter to be filui as the si ificant or designatory portion thereof.

ig. 9 represents a fioup of cards indexed by this s stem in whic are u to indicate a group bearing the same main number, and Fig. 9 represents also on'each of the several guides, the preferred relative positions, from left to ri ht, of the tabs or projections thereon, and i1 ustrates also the tab or projection positions when the guides are reversed to act as secondary number' guides; illustratin also an end guide, and the position 0 the tab thereof when the ide is reversed, from right to left, thus displaying the word Removed.

Fig. represents an individual folder with correspondence, or other matter therein, and illustrates the manner in which the identification designation is written or printed on the tab of the individual folder, which tab or projection when the fo der is in the index stands at the same height as the guide tabs or projections, thus facilitating reference to the same; Fig. 10 illusspecial group guidestrates also the manner in which the numerical designation is written on the matter for filing and findin In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description to permit ready and complete understanding of my novel expansible and contractible numerical index, the members designated by the reference character a are main guides, which may be of any suitable material and shape to carry out the urposes of my invention as broadly sta hereinbefore.

In the instance illustrated, the main ides a shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7, and 9, ta e the form of a well-known ty of guide mem ber, each having a specially positioned upward prog'lection or tabbearing an index number, t ese numbers constituting a series arranged in predetermined progression, preferably decimal, the original installation of a series preferably com rising a set of guide members bearing index numbers beinning with a guide having ci hers only, t en a guide bearing the num r 1, and from there on in jumps of one thousand, i. e., 1, then 1000, and up by thousand units, viz, 2000, 3000, &c., and in the spaces between these guidesv are inserted the units of matter to be filed, designated by the reference character It in the figures now being described.

These units may be of any suitable material and form, and may bear any suitable indicia to permit their identification with the various subject matters which they represent, in order to carry out that purpose of my invention which may be restated at Figs. 1, 2, 9 will be readily recognized as cards such as are ordinarily used to record data of all kinds, and which have to be indexed to rmit easy reference, and such cards bearing the character h in Fig. 2, have been indexed by means of my invention in such a manner that they can be referred to, filed or found either by their gographical or name designation, while e cards It in Fig. 7 have been so indexed that they can be referred to, filed or found either b their subject or name desi ation as will gs more fully explained hereinafter.

Each unit bears an index number which determines its place in my novel numerical index, and in accordance with my invention this number alone suffices for all purof identification in reference to, filmg or finding the unit, and so the clerk, or

any person using the index, needhave no special skill in such use, but needs only to know the number of the unit in question,

everyone of ordinary intelligence is capa le of locating any 'ven number in a numerical series index as I provide for urposes of removing or back-filing acar other matter.

The assignment to each unit of its index number, and the physical application of that number to the unit in permanent form, is a single act which may be readily accomplished by a chief fil' clerk of moderate attainments but shoul be done with care, and must done in accordance with a predetermined system of codin by which .the numerical indicia are rela to, and determined by, selected verbal characteristics or designations of the original subject matter associated with or represented by each index unit, and such preassi ent may be according to any system suitable to carry into efiect this important feature of my invention, and the physical application of the selected indicia may be accomplished any suitable means, manual or mechani- 11335-2, and also to the card h, which (I bears the index number 1133594, and to the card h, which bears the index number 11335-616; the number 11335 in each in stance constituting the main number, while the number after the dash constitutes the sub-number.

The main index number 11335 is detertgainedfint'ltch insta pce the'first five let. 0 name y according to my preferred stem 0 ent, accord: to whic certain verbal characteristhe subject matter to be indexed,

the basis for com of five digits all th: letters of the alphabet are arbitrarily divided in to ten groups, to the individual l'satters off of 1whiccl; ups isassign oneo t e 'gits to i n the order 1 AB), 2 (CD) 3 (EFGg, 4 HI), 56 e mg/z ores, 8Srh),9( ),0(XYZ us all of the card units re resentmg Ba lys bear the main index num r 11335, an to diflerentiate these from each other, they are provided respective] with the subindex 11 shown, whic are assifiied in the order 1 (AB), 2 (CD), &c., as a ve, except that a one or two 'git sub-number ma sufiice in the case 0 an individual and f firm or corporation as shown,

The number of main guides composing a set is determined by the number of digits com rised in the main number; for example, in her, t e balance 0 the number di 'ts, if any, shown above the letters of e first word or surname being crossed out; hence a set of main guides consists of one hundred guides, the first of which is for all main numbers beginning with a cipher, the second for all main numbers from one to one thousand and from there on the guides are numbered b jum of one thousand to ninet nine ousan In Fig. 2, however, 0 y four 'ts are used to form the main number, and ence a set of mam guides consists of ten, numbered from 0000 to nine thousand.

The numeral indicia control absolutely the location of units filed in the index, as will be noted by reference to the umt h m Fig. 1, bearing the index number 11762 119, codified from the name Abondi and Bates, a card for which in the alphabetical type ofeindex would be located ahead of the card for'W. H. Bagel whether sa1d alphabetical index were 0 the straight alphabetic type, or of the combined alphabeticnumerical type, and this difi'erence 1n location serves to emphasize the radically no vel character of my exclusively numerical 1n- A detailed description of'the particular method of, and preferred means for, apply-- 1 ing to the units the index numbers and subnumbers, will be given later herein, as it is desired to lay stress at present upon the expansible and contracti le features of the system, which can be understood to advan- 1 a three digit sub-number in the case 0 1, five di 'ts form the main numand '0 this portion of the index containin the" ly cards, of which a large number are illustrated to indicate the typical demands of large name groups in constructing an index.

First, however, it will be observed that the main-guides bearin index numbers in jllm of one thousan have been supplemen in the lower portion of Fig. 1 by ide members a bearing index num rs figinnin with the number 500 and continuing mi way of the thousand intervals, as at 1500, 8500, 4500 and 5500, by which the indexing capacity of the main guides may be doubled; also that a further increase in the indexing capacity has been provided for by inserting subsidiary guide members 6 ring numbers 100, 200, 300, &c.; and still further by the use of guides a numbered in jumps of ten, as at 10, 20, and 30; such increases being capable of ready extension by addition of uide members in jumps of five, or in digital sequence, 1, 2,

Main guides a need only be added when the volume of the matter filed is so great that there are not enough mainguides a in any one filin drawer to make reference easy; for examp e, if the matter filed should in time occupy more than one hundred drawers, than main guide a would be added, so that each drawer would have some main guides therein showing the thousand igits; it is also the intent of the invention that should the quantity of matter filed justify, main guides bearing the thousands digits could be numbered in jumps of less than five hundred, and even in umps of on] one hundred for a like purpose. In suc case the main sub-guides b would be eliminated.

The Bagely group shown in Fig. 1, is so large as to transcend the indexing capacity of all these main and subsidiary guides, however, and while it falls under the subguide 11335 (and will preferably have a special individual guide card 11335, as s own at d, to mark its commencement) the further indexing of the Bagelys requires special provision, which I prefer to accomplish by the use of a secondary group of guide members e having projections bearmg acondary subsidia index numbers to index the subsidiary indlcia of the units, and distin 'isha-ble from the rimary subsidiary in ex numbers by a di erentiating characteristic, such as the dash preceding the numbers 1, 2, a, 4, 5, e, 7, s, 9, 1o, 15, 20,

the, u n the secondary members e in Fig. 1, so t at without any difliculty the capacity for indexing units representing Bagelys ma be run up to 900, as shown.

ardinarily the existence of the distinguishing characteristic, such as the dash,

will be suflicient to afiord ample visual differentiation, but I prefer to provide a further aid to the eye in distinguishing second: ar indicia by placing the projections 01' ta s bearing the secondary index numbers in a specia position on each guide which position occupies an alignment difi'ering from the alignment of the main guide index numbers.

' I have devised a novel organization of tab alignments which constitutes a highly important feature of my invention, and this is illustrated clearly on a somewhat enlarged scale in Fig. 9, 'where the main guide member appears at a withits index number 13000 upon a pro'ectio'n or tab located in the first osition rom left to right, transversely o the guide; then follows the number for the hundreds column upon a tab b carried by its guide member in the second overlapped position, while the number for the tens column follows upon a tab 0 in the third overlapped position on the guide, and the number for the units column upon a tab d in the fourth position on the guide at a point to the left of the medial line of the index, which is preferably left open on the guides bearing index numbers.

By this alignment of tabs the complete index number of any selected member can be observed directly by reading from left to right 13000, 100, 20, 2, i. e., 13122, as shown in Fig. 9; or 13127; or 13155, as the case may be. t I

A further development of this novel plan of alignment provides for the arrangement of tabs to the right of the medial line, with tabs bearing units in the sixth position (still reading transversely from left to right) tens in the seventh position, and hundreds 1n the eighth position, the lastright-hand position being preferably left free upon these members, as well as the fifth, or middle, position.

These sixth, seventh and eighth tab positions to the right of the middle line I prefer to utilize for the secondary index numbers having distin ishmg characteristicsas for exam Ie, the ash shown in Fig. 9 for such an a ignment constitutes these secondary members an easily recognizable. roup, and facilitates accuracy in reference t ereto, and in finding and filing by the sub-number the individual cards or other members having the same main number.

In accordance with a valuable feature of my invention, the secondary index numbers with their distinguishing characteristics may be applied to the reverse sides of tabs which bear a similar number, without the distinishing characteristic, on the obverse side; gr example'the guides having 20 on one side of their tabs may have 20 upon the other side of the tab, in each instance, and the tab will appear in the primary sequence on the left hand side with the number 20 in its proper relative position, or in the secondary sequence at ri -20 in its ro r relative position, according to whic side of the guide is presented forward.

combination thereof witfi the main guides having projections at the left corner bearing .the main index numbers, and also the combination with miscellaneous or individual ide, folder or container members, or subect matter units, having medial projections in suitable position for alignment along the medial region of the index, as illustrated at I: in Fi 9, where they may be observed convenient y in the o 11 middle space corresponding with the fth position on the index number guides; and so at the extreme right hand region of the index use may be made of the s ace conveniently 'to present projections aring indicia signifying the termination of a glilpup of units at the osition occupied by guide member having that projection, the word End being suitable or that pu as shown at f which designates seve such cards indicating group terminations.

I may also provide guide membershaving projections bearing indicia signifying that each such member occupies the s ace of a unit which has been removed, an for that purpose I prefer to print the word Remov upon a projection occupying the extreme left-hand ition, as indicated at g in Fig. 9. Such indicia may be provided to advantage upon the reverse of the projections of the guide members" bearing the word End upon their obverse sides thus serving the pu oses of economy, as ess members need to kept in stock when they bear both indicia, and require only to be used in reverse ition to exhibit the desired indicia.

In i 2, the characters h" and h" represent ca s bearin both geographic and name designation; h illustrates a card of Abbott & Jones of Albany, N. Y.' These designations havin been codified. and typed, or written, 'on t e card, according to this invention, as described elsewhere, give the town number as 1511 (four number digits being used) also the name designation, main and sub-number 1117-576; hence the card would be found as follows: First, the State guide in bearing New York on its tab, then main guide a 1000, then main sub-guide b 500. thus locating the town (Albany) next, the name designation bei number 1117-576. the main 1000 ide i is located, then sub number-100 guide e, between which and a "guide-500 the card is filed. It" indicates n card bearing a' diflerent town designation (New York, N. Y.) and name designation ght-hand side, with in the same position as iCoo r, M. J.), and this cardv would be oun by the name procedure, but'by the use of guides bearing difi'erent jump numbers on their tabs or .pro'ections, thus illustrat' the manner in w ichtowns are separa tfi into difierent groups in the index.

Similarly, in Fig. 7, the reference characters h h', h h, M, h-', h', indicate cards bearing both subject and name designations; in this case the subject Insurance -is used, although the name of any sub ject or article, etc. could be used equally well, by this invention. The method of referring to, filing and find is in all respects the same as that deseri for graphic and name filing with relation to 2, except that where a State name is use in F' 2, on a shown; li ewise, instead of towns 'vi the right hand numerical designation in Fig. 7, classifications of the subject are used; further only three number digits are used in the main number of the name designation, hence guides i are in jumps of one hundred.

In Figs. 2 and 7, these main guides designated b the reference characters 1' are similar to the main guides a, a, but preferably have tabs or proections in a medial 1- tion, bearing num rs in jum of one t onsand (or one hundred as in ig. 7), used to index the main number of the name designation where both geographic and name designations, or subject and name designations, of the matter filed, are desired.

In Fig. 2, the reference characters j indicate main sub-guides similar to b with medial tabs or projections used to further subdivide the main numbers of the name desifnation where both geographic and name esignations, or subject and name designations, of the matter filed, are desired.

In Figs. 2 and 7, the reference characters It indicate guides having tabs or projections in the center position either rinted with the name of States as in ig. 2 or having written or printed thereon the name of a subject 'as in Fig. 7. -These are used as shown for either geographic and name, or subject and name, filing.

As further illustrations-of the capability which my novel numerical indexinglsys'tem possesses for use with folders, or ot er conide k, in Fig. 7 the subject istainers of correspondence, and similar matter, I have shown in Fig. 3 Main guide miscellaneous folders I having tabs or projections in a medial position bearin index numbers in the same sequence as t e main guides a, a and having in addition the word Miscellaneous printed thereon. These folders are used to carry units of matter whose quantity does not warrant individual folders.

In Fig. 3, I re resents Sub-guide miscellaneous folders avi tabs or projgcations olders l and ring the same jump numbers as main sub-guides b in connection with the word Miscellaneous except that a set consists of only ei ht folders, the main ide miscellaneous folder I acting as the nint one of the set.

In Fig. 3, n refers to the number 900 printed on the folders I under the ump number, and its urpose is as follows: When the amount of t e matter filed between the guides a, a, or the matterfiled in the folders 1 becomes large, main sub-guides b and sub-guide miscellaneous folders I are added to the index, the matter filed in folders I is taken therefrom, and filed in folders I in accordance with its numerical designation except that all matter bearing a main number of which the hundred units are between 900 and 1000 is left in the folder Z, which then serves as the l folder for the main subguide 6 numbered 900.

In Figs. 3 and 10, the letter m indicates the individual folders having tabs or projections in a medial position and the tabs or projections are blank in order that the numerical and alphabetical designation of the contents can be written or printed thereon as described under Fig. 10 and shown in Fig. 3; these folders are used to ca such matter as is filed in quantities sufliclent to warrant the provision of such an individual folder.

The contractible properties of this index may be readily reco ized from the foregoing, since any subsidiary guides rendered useless by the removal or transfer of matter indexed thereby may be themselves removed from the index for use elsewhere, without affecting the efliciency of the remaining index members.

In the above description of the expansible and contractible properties of my novel numerical index, as particularly illustrated by the treatment of a roup of names creatin such a demand as oes the Bagely group, I ave indicated In preferred mode of predctermination of t e numbeis in a decimal sequence for application respectively to the units of filable matter, according to the alphabetic designations assigned to the several units by the chief file clerk, and I will now describe the preferred means of effecting the physical application of the indicia to the units, with s ial reference to Figs. 4 and 5, in which t e codifier arrangement appears, and also with reference to Fig. 8 in which the preferred form of codifier apparatus is i lustrated, and Fig. 6, in which are shown a few card units upon a sulficiently large scale to exhibit very clear] the numerical indicia associated with the a phabetic designations to which they correspond.

In Fig. 6, the index cards It bear respectivel the main index number 11127, indicate by the reference character 0, and which the codifying or chief file clerk has placed or and the proper number of these digits-five in the instance illustrated, that being the number of di 'ts used throu hout this particular in exhave been t us determined b the codifying act of the clerk, once or all, to stand for the designation Babcock, so that the index number 11127 thereafter furnishes a complete and suflicient means of beat all filab e matter relating to Babcock entirely independent of whether or not any person other than the chief file-clerk, referring to the index, findi or back-filing, knows that 11127 means Ba ficock, or has seen the codifier illustrated in Fig. 5.

Having thus emphasized once more the exclusively numerical character of my novel indexing system, and the invariable reliance upon the index number in locating the index members associated with the units of matter to which that number has once been assigned, I wish to make equally clear the necessity for strict adherence to the predetermined relation of the numerical indicia to their determinative designations, and while it is quite within the scope of my invention to have the codifying clerk simply write the number 11127 in pen and ink upon the letter or'other matter which may have furnished the designation Babcock, and while a similar pen and ink entry of the number 11127 may be deemed entirely sufficient without any alphabetical accompaniment, at all times, to represent the desi tion for which it stands, nevertheless I ave devised a convenient means for enabling the codifying clerk, or any other person usi the indexing system, to perform the cod!- fying act mechanically, without a possibility of error in applying the proper index number to the matter, at the time of, and as a part of, the act of applying to said matter the designation selected-in this instance Babcock.

Any suitable means may be adopted for this purpose, and as one convenient form of device I have illustrated in Fig. 4 the characters constituting a font of type in which each letter of the alphabet has arranged above it the number which corre-. 'sponds thereto accordin to the selected form of codifier, shown in Fig. 5; the expression font not bei used in this connection with any limite technical significance, as I prefer to embody the characters,

so arranged, in such a convenient imprinting apparatus as a typewriter or addressing machine, 7 I

Any suitable mechaniun may be employed, an I have ahownin Fig. 8 one convenient form ofdaip ratua-which embodies in general a w mec compr' oscill shuttle S. provided with a series of t c arranged co to Fig. in three rows, the middle row containing the al habetic characters in the order known as t of the standard keyboard Preferably, to facilitate its operation readi y by the typist of usual skill, and the lower row comprising any suitable arrangement of punctuation marks, &c., while the upper row contains exclusively numerical characters corresponding to the codifier order of Fi 5, and a dash.

In acco ance with a valuable feature of my invention, I have thus provided means reby an operator depressingnthe several alphabetic keys, (which may 0 construction, connected with the shuttle S usual mechanism, and therefore not shown) the respectively corresponding numerical characters will be brought into the position for imprint, so that without the need for anyemental selection of the appropriate num r, the operator performs the codifying act coincidentally with the ordinary act of depresi the alphabetic ke and the im rint may llow. Any suitab e form of p aten or impact device may be rovided and as the preferred form of such evice I have shown a well known form of swiniingh-hammer device T, bearing an adjusta le ammer head it secured rotatably in place by a nut P so that it may be turned manual y to present for impact any selected hammer face, two such faces being shown in Fig. 8, one bearing the reference character t, and the other t.

Of these faces, the former is constructed. in accordance with a valuable feature of my invention, to rovide for imprinting contact with one o the numeric characters of the series a, and at the same time with its related alphabetic character, these being in vertical alignment on the shuttle S as already described, so that in printing the index number 11335 to codify Bagely, for example, when the o rator depresses the 13 key, the shuttle will operate to present the combination and the hammer T v will swing hammer face t over for impact simultaneously with the type-faces and these characters will accordingly appear in that relative position upon each article operated upon by the typewriter whether such article consist of a letter rom or to a Bagely, (and therefore to be provided by relation ow' f usual 1 the codifier with the numeral indicia 11835) or if the article he an index card (as It) or a folder.

In each case the operation of the typewriter to imprint the name Bagely, and conversely its operation to im rint the numhamsm ber 11335, will result infalh ly in the simultaneous production of the codified superimposed indicia 3 and implicit relis y ance can be yielded to the accuracy of this to the operation by mechanism of imprinting characters actin as a unitary structure, a provision which fclaim as broadly novel. J

I prefer to provide the hammer head with a face t which can be turned into pla to efi'ect imprinting impact with the 0 aracters of the a phabetic series independently of the numeric series on the shuttle, (or vice verse, by turnin the hammer head upside down), and thus t e typewriter may used to produce a t ewritten exclusively numerical record w en the operator depresses keys bearing exclusively alphabetic designations.

The form of shuttle S illustrated in Fig. 9 can be employed u stock and news tickers or transmission electrically of the co-ordinated numerical and alphabetical records, or either of them, and an original record in tape form comprising both numerical and alphabetical equivalents can be cut apart between the two lines of characters, and either may be sent by mail to serve as confirmation of a message transmitted electrically in synchronism with the production of the combined original, thus affording a degree of accuracy hertofore impossible in the electrical transmission of secret ciphers.

Another shuttle member a of the kind conventionall used on this sort of oscillating t pewhee writing machine, or of any sulta le form, may eonven-ientl be provided with an additional serieso t pewritten characters of any well-known c aracter, so that b the usual simple adjustment of the shutt e-members, s, s on their anvil a and post a (the retaining nut s bein raised to effect the adjustment, and replaced thereafter) the series a may be brought into operative position and the series a shifted out of operative position, until required, the typewriter serving thus for ordinary correspondence or other uses without the need for any further mechanical alteration than the ad ustment of the for co-operation wit y of series a. It is intended that througl i ut the whole index each class of guides and folders shall have an a propriate color to rmit the further di erentiation thereof; or example in the instances illustrated in the drawings n the well-known roger hammer face t t e t -b of a salmon color, while the secondary last; such ti main sub-guides c are blue and the special gui es (1, d ma be white; so a bu color may be use for the ides havin the words End and oved wEile thecolor red may be used for the miscellaneous folder and the color 'bufi for individual folders in the co ndence file. Other colors may as found desirable. f

The operation of my novel invention is as follows:

The chief file clerk first places the codifled-numerical filing designation on the matter to be filed, either by pen or pencil or by my preferred means consisting of, a typewriter having the heretofore described codlfying apparatus attached. To place the numeric designation on the matter by pen or pencil the o rations are as follows: The chief file cler first ascertains the ordinary designation of the matter and then by referring to :the codifier,-

Fig. 5 places the pro-assigned numbers above the letters composing the ordinary designation, separatin b a dash the surname numbers from t e hristian name or initial numbers and the numbers representin the first word of a firm, partnership, or su ject designation from the -second word numbers thereof, in, the same manner, so that a combination from left to ri htof the number digits constitutes the main and sub-numbers (see a and p, Fig. 6), the numberof digits composing the filing numbers being at thefrlifition of the chief file clerk, as has been y explained, When a codifying typewriter is used the chief file clerk first places the card, correspondence or filable matter in' the printing position on the typewriter and t the ordinary designation-by the usua operation, thus coditfhying the ordinary designation and placing e numeric filing designation .on the matter simultaneously and mechanically accurate, the only remaining operation being to cross out an surplus number digits.

In e accompanyin drawings the following rules have been 0 I rved, viz: The surname is written first in the case of individual names the initials or Christian names ties as Dr. Mrs. Mr. Miss, Prof. .Hon. etc., being written after the Christian names or initials and being i ored in the composition of the filing num r, and likewise the name of a firm or cor ration is written as the subject matter gives it, except that con'unctions and prepositions are ignored or p aced at the end of the name and not used to form the filing number; abbreviation of any portion of the name is not used if the abbreviation disturbs the regular sequence of the alv ot used toabbreviate the words Manufacthree number 1 tsam but is ,phabetic oonstructionfof Lthe word in such a mannerasto interfere with-the cod fy nfg the necesar number of numeric digits," or example: Mfg"or 'Co.. are

turing and Company respectively, but

viations since, by codifying, the necedary 7 given in proper.

quence, see It, 1g. 1.

When subject or geographic andname filmg combined is used, the subject or geographic designation should be shown to e left, or precede, and be as arated from the name designation. (See igs. 2 and 7.)

The observance of these rules is notessent alto the proper operation of my -numencindex by the intent of the invention,

preferred. j i v i index for card filing is started by first placmg 1n the files .a' set of mainides or a and, a:- The cards h are t enfil therein and as soon as the amount of cards back of any 'main guide a .or a becomes great, (more than ten or twelve pieces), part, or all, of a set of Main-sub-guides 5 are added. As the amount of cards filed still increases, Secondary main sub-guidescare added. It is very generally true that upon examination the increase of cards back 0 any main guides will disclose that the increase is due to a group of cards which bear the same main number, and in such case a special group guide (I with the main number on its tab 1s added, or a special group guide such as is shown at d. in Fig. 9, have a mg on its tab the last digit of the main number. An End guide f is also added, as

shown in Fig. 1. Then as any u increases, Sub-number giiides -e ag a ded,

or special sub-number grou guides d, and

tabs 0 which bear on the reverse side the proper numerals preceded by a dash (Fig. 9). I geographic orsubject and name filing for cards is required, the files are fitted wit main guides a, a, also- State or blank subject guides k, (see Figures 2 and 7), the cards lng numbered and des' ated as elsewhere described; they are then led in their roper place among main guides a, a by t e numerical desi ation derived from their town or subject esignation. As an increase in the amount of cards between guides a, a develops,.main subides b are added, and if the increase be. no to groups of cards bearing the same town or subject number, then special group guides d, d bearin the designation 0 the town or subject are a dad,

Ill

' the same procedure is followed, except that where it is desired to use folders either Individual or Miscellaneous as shown .in

3 and 10 the chief file clerk writes or prmts the number and designation on the correspondence (by preference "in the upor lower right hand corner) and delivers it it to a file clerk who first ascertains whether or not the index contains any individual folder the same number and designation, and if so files thecorres ndence therein but if no individual fol er is already 1n the index the correspondence is filed in the miscellaneous folder bearing the pro jump number. As soon as the file cler observes an accumulation in the miscellaneous folder of correspondence bearing the same main number desi ation, (say three or five pieces an indivi ual folder is assigned to carry e same, the designation and number being placed on the tab as shown in Fig. 10, and the correspondence is then removed from the miscellaneous folder, placed therein and the folder filed in its pnipar'place in the index.

ile any of the methods commonly used in transferring matters filed can be used in this index, it is particularly adapted to periodic transferring in the following manner! at the end of any transfer period the folders, both individual and miscellaneous containing thecorres ondence, are removed to'the transfer files, t us leaving the guides a, b, c &c., composing the index in the current files; then to proceed with the new riod it is only necessary to add to the inex a new supply of miscellaneous folders, the removed ones remainin in the transfer file in order that the main miscellaneous folders I can act as an index thereto.

Reference to matter filed in.this' index is simple and its accuracy is insured by use of the following preferred methods, viz, if reference is to be made for the purpose of making entries on, or taking entries. from, the matter filed, the chief file-clerk places on the list or lists of units from which the entries are to be taken, or on which they are to be made, the main and sub-numbers of the\ data to be referred to, either by referring to acodifier such as shown in Fig. 5, and writingbthe numbers on the lists by dpen or pencil, or y using a typewriter fitte as described elsewhere; the bet is then given to the file clerk, who finds and back-files the matter by the main and sub-numbers, not having to intel'pret or be guided by any alphabetic designation.

If the reference is by a requisition form,

the chief file clerk places themain and subnumbers on the requisition as described above, before it is given to the file clerk.

Claims covering the codifier apparatus de-. scribed herein form part. of m ap lication, Serial Number 174,415, (livi ed om the present application, and accordingly the claims thereupon are not included herein.

Having illustrated and described my invention thus fully, and suitable means by which-the same may be carried into cfi'ect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to'the specific materials and constructional .forms selected for illustration and description, ynor in general do I limit in self otherwise than as set forth in the claims read in connection with this specification.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent i's:

1. An expansible and contractible ide system for lnte lation with a multip icity of units of sub ect-matter bearing numerical indicia, coded from the designations of said subject-matter, said guide system comprising a series of main guide members havmg projections bearing lndex numbers, and arranged in numerical relation, and subsidiary numerical guide members for interpolation between said main guide members in accordance with said numerical relation, said main and subsidiary members serving in combination as guides to subject matter identified with individual numbers on said units. I

2. An expansible and contractible guidesystem for lnterpolation with a multiplicity of units of subject-matter bearing numer ical indicia coded from the designations of said subject-matter,. said guide-system comprising guide-members having projections 1n ofi'set rows and bearing index numbers and said projections being so arranged that the rojections on all members representin num rs which are multiples of a standa number, such as one thousand, will be pre sented-in one row lengthwise of said index when said members are in place, and pro jections bearing hundreds in another row, and so forth, to permit direct reading of the complete number which, any selected member represents, by observation of the one or more component digits of that number carried by said selected member, in association with the number components on projections in preceding rows.

3. An ex ansible and contractible numerical index or filing systems having a multiplicity of units of subject-matter bearing numerical indicia coded from the designations of.said subject-matter, said index com-v prising a' series of guide members having projections bearing index numbers, sai

different positions acpro ections occupyin deter ma l progression p co toadec as the units and corresponding decinqusnce of said numerical mdicia upon interposed therebetween. expansible and contractible guidesystem for nterpolation with amultipheity f units of sub'ect-matter bea numerical coded the designations of sa d subject-matter, said guide-system comprising 'de-members constituting mm and series, said dc-members havi projections 's and sea 1n ex-n 'ons occu ying 'tions on their rem member corre gz nding to the decimal sequence of the digits. comprising the index number n the one or more units of matter indexed by any given member and thereby also positioned so that said decimal indicia will occupy overlapped positions transversely from eft to rig t in the index with multiples of one thousand in the first position, and from there on by hundreds, tens and single digits respect1 d dlzely to a point at the left of the m1 also positioned so that said decimal indicia will occu overlapping positions transversely to zhe right of the middle of the index, in the instance of seconds. numbers, and to the left of the middle 0 the index in the instance of primary numbers, be-

, with single digits, then tens, then in n system for mterpo plrg ections occu 111 left to rig thousands in t e first position, hundreds in f ansible and contractible guidelation with a multiplicity of units of sub ect-matter bearing numerguide-members havin index numbers, and sai tpositions transversely W1 prising a series of projections bearing the second overlappedposition, tens in the third overla ped ition and digits in the fourth overlap position, while guide rs having prod'lections in the sixth 'tion bear e git indicia having a iflerentiating characteristic, and those havmg projections in the seventh and eighth positions respectively bear tens and unthe addition of guide-members ections bearing acteristics, the fifth and last positions being left open upon the aforesaid 'de 1 and said index comp 1 a guide members projections, ,the word End to a pear in said last position, and ide mem media projections aringthmiscellaneous indicia to appear in said fi position. y

7. An expansible numerical index havi a plurality of groups of guide-members wit exclusively numerical indicia, coded fromthe subjectmatter. filed, and ca able of in-' dependent expansion within group by bearing siiib ilarly coded numerical indicia, said grou s being differentiated by the alignment of said indicia in difi'erent tions upon the members composing sai respective grou 8. In a numerical index,-a series o guidemembers having each a single projection bearing an index number upon one side'of .the projection, and having upon the reverse side of each projection said index number in combination with a difl'erentiatin sign,

with

and a multiplicity of units associat various sub ect-matters interposed between said guide members'and constituting a plurality of groups distinguishable by said differentiatin'g si s when the-guide-members bearing said ifl'erentiating signs are inserted in said index inreversed position to display said index-numbers so differentiated. 9. An expansible and contractible numerical index comprising a series of main guide members having projections bearing indexnumbers arranged in relation, and subsidiary guide members for interpolation between said main guide'members in accordance with said numerical relation,- certain of said subsidia guide members bearing upon the reverse side of their respective rojections the same index-numbers as t eir obverse index-numbers but distinguished therefrom respectively by' a diiferentiating characteristic, to constitute said members so difierentiated a readily identifiable group when reversed in said index.

10. A reversible guide-member for filing systems, said member having a projection ical indicia, coded from the designations of beari said subject-matter said guide-system com-- Elude members each having a projectionring'indicia signifying said group tor minations. I

12. A numeric filing system comprising dreds indicia having diflerentiating cm- III order, said numerical indicia bei ity of units associated with various sub ectmatters or designations, and provided with verbal indicia permitting identificatlonof the several sub ect-matters or designations associated with said units respectively, said units having also numerical indicia to erlnit ready location of said units in numerical coded from and related to said verbal in icia in accordance with a regular, arbitrarily determined preassigmnent, antPsaid system being expansible to an unlimited extent by the interpolation of additional units and orders of units of the subject-matter.

14. An expansible and contractible numeric filing system comprising a multiplicity of units associated with various sub ectmatters or designations, and provided with verbal indicia. rmitting identification of the several sub ect-matters or designations associated with said units res tively, said units having also numerical lndicia to permit ready location of said units in numerical order, said numerical indicia being coded from and related to said verbal indicia in accordance with a regular, arbiupon saidum'ts, for visual two-observation,-

and said system being expansible to an'unlimited extent by the interpolation of additional units and ject-matter.

15. An expansible and contractible numeric filing system comprising a multi licity of units associated with various sul ject matters or designations, and bearing alphabetical indicia thereof, said units having also numerical indicia coded from and in visual juxtaposition with said alphabetical indicia, and said system bei' expansible to an unlimited extent by the mterpolation of additional units and orders of units of the subject-matter.

1Q. An expansible and contractible numeric filing system comprising a multi lic- 1ty of units associated with various su jec matters or designations, and bearing numerical indicia coded from alphabetical characteristics'or designations of said subject matters, said units bearin also subsidiary numerical indicia cod from se: lected secondary alphabetical characteristics or designations of said subject matters.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 23rd day of January, 1917.

CHESTER I. WAGNER.

orders of units of the sub- Witn:

ALEXANDER C. PROUDFIT, WILLIAM S. SW. 

